Cannabis-derived compounds show promise against dangerous fungal infections
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New research from Macquarie University has revealed that specific compounds derived from the cannabis plant may hold powerful antifungal properties, offering hope for improved treatment options for a range of fungal infections.
In laboratory tests, cannabidiol (CBD) and cannabidivarin (CBDV) were found to be effective in killing Cryptococcus neoformans — a World Health Organization-listed priority fungal pathogen known for causing severe diseases such as cryptococcal meningitis.
According to a media statement from the university, these compounds also demonstrated the ability to rapidly kill dermatophytes — fungi responsible for widespread skin conditions like athlete's foot — and did so more quickly than many existing antifungal medications.
The findings, published in The Journal of Neglected Tropical Diseases (PLOS NTDs), open up new possibilities for tackling fungal infections, which, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), affect over one billion people globally every year. From common conditions such as yeast infections to life-threatening illnesses like pneumocystis pneumonia, fungal pathogens represent a significant and often under-addressed public health challenge.
The research was led by Dr Hue Dinh, a postdoctoral fellow at Macquarie’s School of Natural Sciences, alongside Associate Professor Amy Cain. The project also involved pharmacologist Professor Mark Connor and Dr Marina Junqueira Santiago from the Macquarie School of Medicine, with additional support from experts at the Universities of Sydney and New South Wales.
Dr Dinh, who has a background in antimicrobial resistance, highlighted the advantage of exploring compounds already approved for human use. "It made more sense to work with pharmacological compounds already approved for use in humans for other conditions because their safety and mechanism of action are already well known," she explained.
Identifying which cannabis-derived compounds to test posed a significant challenge. “Hundreds of natural compounds can be extracted from the cannabis plant, and we don't know which ones work,” Dr Dinh said.
Professor Mark Connor, who brings deep expertise in cannabinoid research, collaborated with the team to target Cryptococcus neoformans, a fungus that can cause deadly brain and lung infections. “When Cryptococcus neoformans gets to your central nervous system, it causes life-threatening meningitis. The mortality rate is very high, and it's really hard to treat,” Dr Dinh added.
Further testing against 33 additional fungal strains from clinical, environmental, and veterinary sources showed that these cannabinoids were capable of killing multiple Cryptococcus species, as well as the fungi responsible for common skin infections.
